July 23, 2012

Together on Tuesdays {My Family}

It's time for Together on Tuesdays! I know July is a really busy time, so I am thankful to be posting on the blog at least on Tuesdays to reconnect with you all! Thanks for reading and linking up!

Today we're talking about family. You might want to share about your heritage, extended family or immediate family. Please feel free to share however you like! You may link to a previous post or create a new post. My children are young and ever-changing, so though you likely know a lot about them if you are a regular reader, I am still going to share a bit more...hope you don't mind!

My husband, Derek, and I have been married nine years! (And the photo above is nearly two years old...) Derek works as a computer programmer. He really enjoys watching and playing most sports. He's still very athletic and can hold his own against others rather well. (I'm not talking professional athletes though...) Derek's logical ways balance my emotions quite often. I always appreciate how hard he works at DIY projects and regular home maintenance.

Our oldest is nearly six. She's know as Big Sister around here. Big Sister is about to enter kindergarten and is definitely excited and ready for it. She has always enjoyed learning which delights this former teacher. (She recently has begun to read "real" chapter books, including Betsy-Tacy and The Littles!) She is very social, especially with older children and adults.

Something that I have not written much about on this blog is the fact that Big Sister has overcome (which is different than outgrowing) a speech disorder called verbal apraxia (or Childhood Apraxia of Speech). As a baby she never babbled. At all. She is now a chatterbox though at age 2 she had very few sounds and even fewer words.She had no words or word approximations for mom or dad until she was 27 months old. When she turned three she still could not sing a line to any song. You can read about her success with verbal apraxia, if you like.

When Big Sister was just 17 days old, her heart rate was racing at a life-threatening 320 beats per minute. After an intense two-week hospitalization, we brought her home and were told if she only had one episode of SVT a month, that'd be great. For a very long time we gave her medication and checked her heart rate with each diaper change. Thankfully, she did outgrow the SVT, and as far as we know never had another episode that was not medically induced! (They induced the SVT as a test to see if her medication was working. They never did figure out the right combination of meds that didn't allow the SVT, but God was so much bigger than that...)

Big Sister gives 110% to most things it seems. Whether it is telling you a story about her day, coloring a picture, or throwing a tantrum, she gives all. Big Sister is very adventurous and enjoys competition and all things active. Her enthusiasm is a real blessing.

My nearly four year old son is known as Brother. Brother can be just as wild as his older sister, but he can also sit and quietly play, too, especially when dirt is involved. When Brother is playing indoors, he typically makes "dirt" out of anything- Legos, dominoes, or even little bits of paper- to go with his diggers and trucks. This past weekend he was able to take his first "ride" in a bulldozer. This was a real delight, though he's been on many tractors.

Brother is not only passionate about dirt, but he fully adores his baby sister. He's also active enough that sometimes he does not know is own strength...Brother enjoys playing with his friends and family, but he is also great at independent play. He is a sweet little guy!

Our sweet Brother also had a bit of medical trouble. Days before he turned one, he had a seizure lasting more than three hours. After several grueling days in the PICU, and his first birthday in the hospital, he came home. He took medication for over two years, and thankfully this spring was weaned from it. He has not had another seizure since! UPDATE: Brother has had another seizure. Please read about epilepsy and a lesson learned in it.

Little Sister just turned nine months. As you can see, she constantly has something in her mouth. She really is a delight to all of us. She began rolling at 11 weeks and has not stopped moving since. We are grateful that though she began to (slowly) cruise along the furniture at seven months, she does not seem interested in walking or standing yet. Little Sister has broken any molds the older two were happy to conform to, but we are grateful for the joy she brings. She now makes various "kisses," and now even when prompted by just the word (if she isn't distracted by everything else).

As a family we probably outdoor time the most. Sometimes that means working together; other times it's just relaxing around the fire or playing. Life is full and good.

Would you join us and share about your family? We'd enjoy getting to know you better! Please link to your specific post (not just your blog) either atThese Grace Filled Days or here at This Simple Home. Thanks!

Next week we would love to hear about where you live. This can be your home (maybe a tour?) or your local area.
~ Annette {This Simple Mom}